Tenchi Muyo: When Many Worlds Meet
by Poncho D
Summary: A whole new Tenchi timeline, as different as Universe is from Muyo. Please read and review. Chapter two up!
1. Default Chapter

Okaiyama, Japan  
Spring, 1986  
  
The sun rose over the lush Japanese countryside, turning the sky from pale gray to lavender to azure. From a simple looking house along the dirt road, a lone figure emerged, walking down the dusty path to the Shinto shrine hidden in the forest. The young man was not going there to worship; he did not put much stock in his family's religion. He was going to the shrine only to clean it of dust and ensure it was in good condition. After all, he did not share his grandfather's beliefs, but he was careful to respect them.  
He was not an unusually handsome boy. He was medium of stature and build, and possessed the dark eyes and skin typical of his people. But Tenchi Masaki's life was by no means devoid of occasional glances from the young ladies at his school. Tenchi couldn't imagine what the girls saw in him; when he had asked one of his closer female friends about it, she had just laughed  
and explained it as a combination of his total lack of arrogance and the air of quiet confidence that he exuded.  
Tenchi had a great respect for women, and often found that he enjoyed their company more than that of his male friends. Nevertheless, the fact was that, among other reasons, he simply did not have room in his life for a relationship. With the vast majority of his time taken up by chores, he hardly had a moment for leisure of any kind, let alone dating.  
Once again, he pulled the wicker brush from his small rucksack and began the daily task of dusting the shrine. Suddenly, he stopped and sat down on the ground near a cedar tree. He closed his eyes and let the breeze rustle his hair. It was these moments, in which he got to simply sit back and enjoy the beauty of nature, that Tenchi considered his leisure time. His grandfather, Katsuhito, would be upset to know that he spent the least bit of time this way. Grandpa was a good man, and fun to be around, but he could be a real nitpicker at times. He would swear that the chores, the sword practice, and the thousand other things he made Tenchi do were all part of the training.  
Training for what? Swordsmanship? Tenchi didn't like to fight, and tried to avoid it when it came his way. But if it came down to a brawl, he was quite capable of defending himself with his bare hands; he had no need for a weapon.  
What else, then? Surely Grandpa didn't expect him to follow in his ancestor's footsteps and become a priest. He could only imagine the guilt he would live with as a practitioner of a religion he did not believe in.  
Who knows, he thought, drifting in and out of sleep. Maybe it was just Grandpa's way of raising him, teaching him to be the kind of man Katsuhito's father had raised.  
Zzzzip.  
Tenchi opened one eye, somewhat startled, and a little curious. What was that noise? He listened carefully, but did not hear the noise again. Perhaps he had imagined it, he thought, closing his eyes once again.  
He had nearly dozed off when a thunderclap shook him to his feet, followed by a deafening roar. Now thoroughly scared out of his wits, Tenchi looked toward the south, where the sound of the explosion had come from. There, an orange glow formed the base of a tower of smoke at least a hundred feet high, judging by the distance.  
Was it a meteor? he wondered. A plane crash, perhaps? Whatever it was, Tenchi certainly had no intention of finding out. He tore off through the woods, toward home.  
  
Katsuhito Masaki gently slid the spatula under the omlet-like concoction in the frying pan, and lifted it onto a plate. He smiled to himself as he poured the teriyaki sauce over it. Okonomiyaki was Tenchi's favorite; Katsu-san was not a big fan of it himself, but tried to indulge his grandson whenever it was practical to do so.  
The door opened with a bang, and Tenchi came barreling through it. The startled priest lost his grip on the teriyaki bottle, splattering the floor with sauce and broken glass.  
"Tenchi, what's the matter?" he asked with concern as he slipped on his sandals and began to clean up the mess. "You look as if you've seen a ghost."  
"Something..." Tenchi began, breathing as if he had been running the thousand meter dash, which was not a totally inaccurate description, "something crashed in the woods. It woke me up; I can't imagine what it was!"  
Katsuhito considered scolding the boy for falling asleep on the job, but thought better of it. That would wait until things were calmer. "How far away do you think it was?" he asked, his mind calmly sorting through the possibilities.  
"I, uh, I don't know," Tenchi said. "Maybe a mile or two?"   
"Hmmm," Katsuhito mumbled, looking thoughtful as he stood. "Sounds like a plane crash. Come along," he called over his shoulder as he walked out the door. "We'll check it out. Someone may be hurt."  
Tenchi didn't bother saying that "may be hurt" was the understatement of the century. He would already be in enough trouble for sleeping during his chores; a smart mouth wouldn't help things.  
The crash site was perhaps two or three kilometers from the house. When they arrived, the fire had burned down considerably; only a few trees were damaged. The craft itself was a total loss. Tenchi could not make out what the smoldering wreckage had been, but whatever it was, it was fast, judging by the size of the crater in which it lay.  
Katsuhito picked up a large tree limb and began moving the hot metal. He thought it very unlikely that anyone had survived such an impact. That made his discovery all the more surprising.  
Tenchi was examining what appeared to be the pilot's seat, when his grandfather shouted to him to come quickly.  
He was bent over a prone form, obviously female, wearing some rather outlandish clothing. "She's alive," Katsuhito assessed, "but unconcious."  
"What should we do?" Tenchi asked, looking down at the girl. He thought she looked maybe eighteen or so. She was slight of frame, and had messy red hair. Her face was rather pretty, but marred by a bloody gash on her forehead.  
Katsuhito looked up at Tenchi. "I don't want to move her," he said. "She may have internal injuries. But the nearest hospital is in Nerima, nearly a hundred kilometers from here. Against my better judgement, we'll have to take her home and care for her until she awakens."  
They walked home in silence, taking turns carrying the injured girl.  
  
Later that day, the girl awoke to find herself lying on a couch in a neat and clean, if somewhat spartan, living room. The afternoon sunlight sparkled through the trees, causing shadows to play across a high, wood-beam ceiling. She looked down at herself, and was surprised find her uniform gone, relpaced by a thick white robe. Where was this place? The last thing she remembered was wrestling like mad with the control column, as the ground raced toward her face. And now, suddenly she was here, in this strange house.  
She looked around and, seeing no one about to greet her, tried to sit up. She found enough energy to lift herself about ten centimeters, before collapsing back on the couch, full of blazing pain.  
"Ahh, you're awake," a deep, gentle male voice said. She looked toward the door to see a bespectacled gray-haired man with a thick mustache smiling down at her.  
"Where am I?" she asked, her green eyes roaming the room.  
"You are among friends," he replied, examining her face carefully. "We found you in the forest, not long after your plane crashed. You are at the Masaki residence. I am Katsuhito Masaki, and this is my grandson, Tenchi." He gestured to a dark-haired boy of about sixteen, who was just entering the room."  
"Miss?" the boy inquired, "are you okay?"  
"My name is Washu," she replied, "and I've been better." She felt something strange above her left eye, and touched it gingerly.  
"I bound your wounds," Katsuhito said. "That one took only a few sutures; I'm afraid the broken rib is much more serious."  
So that's why I can barely move, Washu thought.  
"Where are my clothes?"  
"In the laundry," Tenchi said brightly. "Sorry about that, but we had to get you into something less constricting, so Grandpa could put a bandage on you."  
"So I guess you guys got a good look, huh?" she grunted, upset at the thought of their eyes on her body as they changed her.  
Tenchi's smile disappeared, replaced by a look of indignation. He opened his mouth, but Kastuhito held up a hand, and Tenchi simmered down.  
"I can assure you, it was an awkward moment for both of us," Katsuhito laughed, "but if it's any encouragement, I turned you over on your stomach while I put the binding on."  
Washu let out a harsh laugh, then winced as her rib cage took the strain. "Well then," she said weakly, "you got to see my butt, so I guess it wasn't a total loss."  
Tenchi was rapidly getting irritated with his smart-mouthed guest. The truth was, he had found it difficult to look away from her rather impressive derriere. He felt himself blushing.  
Katsuhito was more patient. "I promise you, Miss Washu, my grandson and I have no untoward intentions with you. You may leave as soon as you are well, or you can stay here if you wish. In any case, until you have healed, I suggest you get some rest. Come along, Tenchi." He motioned to his grandson, then turned and left the room.  
  
At sundown, Washu joined her hosts at the table for dinner, limping along on a sprained ankle which had gone undetected until she tried to stand on it. The two men found that she was much more friendly when there was food available, though she had apparently never tried Asian cuisine before. She seemed to prefer the shrimp, bread, and other finger foods rather than deal-  
ing with the unwieldy chopsticks.  
She had an amazing intellect; though Katsuhito seemed rather uninterested in her descriptions of various physical priciples, Tenchi listened with rapt fascination. This was stuff he had never heard in his science classes.  
"So," Katsu-san said when she seemed finished, "where do you live?"  
Washu hesitated before answering, then cocked a wry grin. "Let's just say I'm not from around here."  
"What happened to your plane?" Tenchi asked.  
"It wasn't a plane, but to answer your question, it was engine failure," she stated matter-of-factly. "I was shot down."  
"What!? Shot down?" Tenchi blurted. "You mean by the military?"  
"No."  
"Then who was it? I can't think of anybody else who can shoot an airplane down."  
"You weren't paying attention," Washu said, smiling and waving a reproving finger at Tenchi. "I said it wasn't a plane. It was my ship, the Dragon."  
Tenchi looked at his guest as if she were quite insane.  
Washu just shook her head and smiled. "Looks like I'll have to tell you guys the whole story."  
  
It was a thoroughly astounded Tenchi and a grim Katsuhito that followed Washu outside to look up at the night sky. From one horizon to the other, a million stars lit up the heavens.  
Good grief, Tenchi mused as he considered her story. Terrorists and princesses and horribly destructive weapons and who knew what else?  
"Which one is it?" Katsuhito asked.  
"That one." Washu pointed out a bright blue star in the constellation Leo.  
"Regulus," Katsu-san muttered, "about eighty-five light years from here."  
"It must have taken centuries for you to get here," Tenchi said, his voice full of awe. "How did you do it? Hyperspace? Deep-freeze hybernation?"  
Washu laughed. "None of the above. The Dragon is--was--pretty fast. She could make about eight-c when I put the petal to the metal."  
"But in science class, they told us it's impossible to go faster than the speed of light," Tenchi pointed out.  
Washu shrugged. "Well, that's what you get for listening to human scientists. Not that I blame you; I mean, all you have to go on is your own experience."  
"So how did you do it?" Tenchi asked again.  
"Well, technically I didn't. See, your guy Einstein was only half right. You can actually go as fast as you want, but only from your own point of view."  
Tenchi scratched his head. "I don't get it."  
"Okay, look," Washu said turning toward him and holding up two hands, turned palm to palm. "Time dilates," she began, spreading her hands outward as she spoke, "as you approach the speed of light, right?"  
Tenchi nodded, feeling as if he were in Mister Takagi's class again.  
"All right," she went on, "But you don't notice, because your brain slows down, too. All you notice is that you're now covering several lightyears every few minutes. So you think you're leaving light in the dust. But if I clock you from here on Earth, my instruments would tell me you're only doing about ninety or so percent of light speed."  
"Right," Tenchi said, fascinated by this subject. "But shouldn't Grandpa and I be long since dead when you got here?"  
"Heh heh," Washu laughed, a michievious glint in her eye. "I'm an alien, remember? For all you know, I might be twenty thousand years old. But no, it's a little trick called temporal distortion..."  
"Umm, excuse me," Katsuhito interrupted. He shook his head gravely. "I'm afraid there's a bigger issue here."  
"Grandpa, wait..." Tenchi said. He had a feeling he knew what was coming.   
"I'm sorry, Tenchi," Katsu-san said, an edge of sympathy in his voice, "but you know she can't stay here. If we continue to harbor her, we would be just as guilty of her crimes as she is. I am afraid we'll have to turn her over to the authorties as soon as possible."  
Tenchi looked at Washu apologetically.  
"It's alright, Tenchi," she said. "He's right, you know. You guys nursed me back to health. Some friend I would be if I dragged you down with me." She smiled fondly. "Why don't you two head back inside, and get some sleep. I promise I won't go anywhere. I just need to be alone for a while; I've got a lot on my mind."  
  
Late that night, Washu still sat on the step of the Masaki home, gazing up at the stars, in particular the bright blue one she called home. Around that little point of light circled the planet Jurai, her home for the last twenty years. The home that she had felt forced to betray.  
The Darius Movement had not started out as a terrorist group, but rather a legitimate political party whose agenda, while deeply conservative, was by no means violent or even particularly threatening. Many of the Jurian people had shared the Darian party's concerns over the practices of government officials, but the party was small and had too few votes to excercise any influence in parliment. With their controversial proposals and solid, non-negotiable, and unpopular stance on key issues, the parliament simply would not take the Darians seriously.  
Then came the discovey of a new planet in the Mizar system. With its lush, tropical climate and vast mineral resources, Jurians flocked to the new world, and its population soon became big enough for official admittance to the Jurian empire. This privilidge brought with it many perqs, including a rather large amount of representation in Parliament.  
That was where the trouble started. With critical resources in their possession, The Mizar-Jurians had a lot of votes to begin with. Then Parliment played their trump-card against the bothersome Darius party; it brought in fifty brand new representatives from the world of Mizar II.   
Now the Jurian Constitution was clear on the way Parliament had to be operated: no more then one-hundred eighty representatives could occupy parliamentary seats at one time. With a hundred and fifty of those seats already taken up by the ruling Imperial Party, and only thirty for the Darians, there was no room for the new voters. Therefore, rather than risk angering his influential Mizarian partners, the Jurian Regent (who had come to power in the absence of Emperor Yosho) decided that the Darius Movement didn't technically constitute a real political party, and not only gave their remaining seats to the Mizarians, but flagrantly disregarded his own Constitution by adding twenty more!  
The Darius Party's top officals were livid. They immediately brought before the Senate a bill of no confidence against Duke Anaximander, the Regent. Two days later, as scorching hot debates raged back and forth accross the Hall of Parliament, a popular head official of the Darians was walking up the steps of the old building, when a fountain of blood exploded from the side of his head, and his lifeless body dropped to the alabaster stairs.  
The police found the sniper bullet lodged in the trunk of a bush on the other side of the stairway. The assassination caused a cry of outrage amoong all the citizens of Jurai, but it was never officially determined who was behind it.  
But the Darians knew. They knew that a government-hired assassin had destroyed thier last hope of gaining some voice in politics. However, rather then raising an outcry and pointing their collective fingers at the Regent, they began quietly withdrawing from the political arena. A series of covert deals with local mercinary groups and private arms dealers slowly converted the Darius Party from a political entity into an armed rebel group.  
Vehicle bombings, assassinations, and the frequent taking of hostages marked the rise of a new and very different Darius Movement. When Washu, sympathetic to the group's cause, decided to join their fight, she raised many eyebrows with her amazing computer skills. The rebels quickly found a way to get her an enlistment in the Fleet, where she became one of their most valuable spies.  
But her luck had run out on her last assignment. The rebels wanted the blueprints for a new ship-based weapon the Fleet was developing. Washu had gladly obliged, totally unaware that the Jurian Empire had been monitoring her activities for quite some time. When six gun-toting Imperial Security agents had burst into Lieutenant Washu Wanatabe's quarters and found her uploading the classified data to a foriegn network over her laptop computer, it had taken the timely attack of an unknown ally to save her skin. Between the two of them, Washu and her mysterious friend had been able to distract the agents long enough to kick, pummel, and beat them into submission, after which the unconcious men were locked into Washu's room. "Go! Run!" the other woman had shouted. Washu had been in no mood to argue, and laptop in hand, she had torn through the corridors of the ship and into the shuttle bay. Five minutes later, she was at a rebel-held space station, boarding her personal liner, the Dragon.  
It was on the fifth day of her fugitive journey across space that Washu discovered she was being pursued, not by Imperial Security, or the Fleet, but by her Majesty the Princess Ayeka, heir to the Jurian throne.   
Princess Ayeka's ship was fast, but Washu had managed to outwit her time and again, until she found a planet on the charts that looked reasonably safe. She had contacted the rebels, and told them what happened. The rebel leader, a nineteen-year-old boy with long blond hair, had told her to proceed to the nearest safe planet, and that they would do what they could to bring her back home.  
And so here she was, on this back water planet in the middle of nowhere, wondering what fate awaited her. Either the rebels would show up first, in which case she would be taken to a safehouse on some godforsaken world, to live the rest of her life in hiding, or the Empire would catch her here, in which case she could look forward to a speedy kangaroo trial and a public execution. Either way, she was out of the spy business for good.  
Washu suddenly awoke, and was shocked to discover she had been asleep for hours! She looked at the horizon to see the first golden sliver of sun making its way into the sky. She shook her head and smiled as she made her way back into the house and to the couch: her hosts might be worried if they knew she had spent the night outside in her condition. 


	2. New Arrivals

The next morning, Tenchi went through the motions in school: fall asleep in Physics class as usual, doodle in his notebook during Japanese II, and then to lunch. But all day he had been thinking about Washu, his new guest. He wondered what fate would await her when whatever these Jurians used for police showed up.  
  
Lunch provided a useful distraction, though not an appetizing one. He scowled at the strange lump of gray substance on his plate. The only thing he could identify for certain was the bread, but that had the consistency of stainless steel, so he avoided it as well. "What is this stuff supposed to be, anyway?" he grumbled to his friend, Shiro. He held up some on his fork, and watched it slowly drip off and splatter back on to the plate.   
  
"Mashed potatoes, I think," the rough-looking, long-haired boy replied. Shiro Takagi was the son of Ataru Takagi, head of the school's science department and Tenchi's current Physics One instructor. Shiro went out of his way to avoid taking any classes under his father. This was not to say that they didn't get along, but nobody wants to take a class taught by either of their parents.  
  
"Guess I'll have to hit the machines after school," Tenchi mused. Shiro did not reply. "Hey, Shiro. You listening?"  
  
"Yeah." But Shiro was not listening. He was looking with awe at something behind Tenchi's head. Before he could turn around to find out what it was, something brushed his shoulder, and he looked up to see a big girl with a long pony tail walking away from him. She was very attractive, as far as he could tell, and he guessed this was what Shiro had been so intrigued with. Shiro looked over his shoulder at the girl, then back at Tenchi. He gave a low whistle, shaking his head. "Man, talk about Miss Irony," he chuckled.  
  
"What do you mean?" Tenchi asked. He took a glance over his friend's shoulder at the girl, who was now at another table, conversing with a group of friends. "Who is she? She's gorgeous."  
  
"That's Masaka Komanike," Shiro replied. "It really is a shame. She's the best-looking chick in the whole school, and can't get a boyfriend to save her life."  
  
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Tenchi said incredulously. "With a body like that, she could have any man she wanted. And no one will date her?"  
  
"Not a soul," Shiro affirmed. He leaned across the table and gave Tenchi a conspiritorial look. "Here's the deal," he explained, "She's really good friends with this guy named Kuno Harume, right? Well, Kuno's a huge guy, six and a half feet, good two-fifty or so. And everyone thinks that because they hang out so much, they must be dating. Nobody in Japan is dumb enough to fight Kuno, so poor Masaka is left man-less."  
  
"Why doesn't she go out with him?"  
  
"Too close. They've been friends too long, you know how that is."  
  
"Are you telling me you know this girl?" Tenchi asked.  
  
"I know her sister. Man, you think Masaka looks good? You ain't seen nothin' yet. Anyway, Kuno's not an option for her, and she's not my type. Now tell me, who do you suppose that leaves?"  
  
"Uh-uh," Tenchi shook his head.  
  
"Oh yes, my friend," Shiro gave him a devious look. "You have been date-less for too long, and I think I've found just the person to introduce you to." He stood, and began walking towards Masaka's table. Tenchi remained seated.  
  
"Come on, man." Shiro said, waving at him. Tenchi rolled his eyes, and joined Shiro. How do I let myself get dragged into these things? he asked himself.  
  
"Hey, Masaka," Shiro piped cheerfully when they reached her table. She looked up, giving Tenchi his first look at her face. Wow, she's pretty, he thought. Her eyes were a soft gray color, and her long, black pony-tail fell to her hips. She had a small, round nose and a wide mouth set in a round face. She wore no makeup that Tenchi could see.  
  
"Hi, Shiro!" she said happily in a gently lilting voice. "What's up?"  
  
"Just chillin'," he said. "Mind if we join you ladies?"  
  
"Sure," she said. "Who's your friend?"  
  
_Jackpot_, Shiro thought with amusement. _This is just too perfect._ "Oh, this is Tenchi Masaki. He's in my geography class, and if I'm not mistaken, the three of us are all in the same algebra class together."  
  
"Yeah, I've seen you before," she said to Tenchi. "You're the quiet one. Have a seat, guys." She gestured to two empty seats on either side of her, and Tenchi settled into one. Shiro was about to sit, when he suddenly looked at his watch. "Oh, man! Will you look at the time? Sorry, Masaka, I'm supposed to meet Asuka at the coffee shop in five minutes. Tenchi, will you keep these lovely ladies company for me? Of course you will," he said before Tenchi had a chance to protest. "See you, guys." He was out the door before his flabbergasted friend could even open his mouth.  
  
Tenchi was fuming silently, and plotting ways to get revenge on Shiro, when Masaka spoke to him. "My, you're quiet today."  
  
"Yeah," Tenchi laughed nervously, "uhhh, not much to talk about, I guess." _I'm going to murder that guy._ "So, uuhhh, what classes do you take?" he asked, trying desperately to spark a conversation. If that wacko friend of his was going to fix him up, then he was determined to make the best of it.  
  
"Well, let's see..." she looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, besides the usual stuff, there's gym class, and I take clarinet practice." She game him a beautiful smile, and he almost melted.  
  
"Wow, the clarinet, huh?" Tenchi asked, trying not to picture her in gym shorts. "What can you play?"  
  
"Oh, just beginner's stuff," she said shyly. "'Fraera-Jacqua' (sp?), and 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'."  
  
"That's it?"  
  
"That's it," she said. "I like the guitar much better, because I'm a little better at it."  
  
"Oh, that sounds nice," Tenchi said, feeling like a complete idiot. She played the clarinet _and_ the guitar?  
  
"Yeah," she said. "Look, I've got to go. I'd really like to talk to you again some time. Want to meet me at the Starbucks after school tomorrow?"  
  
Tenchi nearly fell out of his chair. Five minutes of conversation, and she had practically asked him out! "Yeah, sure," he said, trying to conceal his total shock. Okay, this hadn't gone as bad as he thought it would, but he was still going to jump all over Shiro, just on priciple.  
  
  
  
  
When he got off the bus that afternoon, Tenchi practically skipped down the dirt path to his house. The only problem he could think of was how to get Grandpa to give him a break from his chores, so that he could meet Masaka tomorrow. He could already hear the old man's stern lecture in his head: 'You've got more important things to worry about than girls, Tenchi. The shrine won't maintain itself, and I've got housekeeping and bills to keep up with. And if I catch you sleeping today, you'll be doing double the chores tomorrow. Is that clear?'  
  
Yeah, sure, it was clear, alright. It was clear that Tenchi had to have a life of his own someday. Get married, have children, hold down a job and such. He certainly wasn't about to spend the rest of his life here, keeping that old relic in the woods in shape.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard unfamiliar voices coming from his house. It sounded like Grandpa, and two or three other people. When he rounded the bend and arrived at the house, he did indeed find Katsuhito and two dark-haired women, standing in the front yard, having some kind of discussion. In the background stood red-headed Washu, looking on with something akin to amusement.  
  
"She is a traitor to the Jurian people, and I demand to have her remanded to my custody at once!" the first woman yelled shrilly. She was medium-height, and had hip-length brown hair and a very regal air about her. She wore many flowing robes, and a small tiara around her forehead.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry, lady, but she's in my jurisdiction," the second woman said to the first, sounding tired and frustrated. She was taller and bustier than the other one, with black hair that fell almost to the middle of her back. She wore an outfit that looked vaguely like a police uniform. "Now, unless you can come up with something for me to tell the Chief when I come back empty-handed," she went on, "then I am leaving, and I'm taking the prisoner with me." She gestured to Washu, who still looked quite entertained by the proceedings.  
  
"You will address me as 'Your Highness!' the shorter woman shot back, "and you can tell your cheif--"  
  
"Uhh, excuse me," Tenchi interrupted. "Grandpa, what is going on? Who are these people?"  
  
"Tenchi," Katsuhito said, "I would like to introduce her Royal Highness, the Princess Ayeka of the planet Jurai," the short, regal-looking woman gave him a small bow, "and Captain Kiyone Makibi of the Galaxy Police. Your Highness, Captain, this is my grandson, Tenchi Masaki." The taller woman, evidently Kiyone, stuck out her hand, and Tenchi shook it limply, giving her his most nervous smile. "Uhhh, Grandpa, could I talk to you for a minute?" He led Katsuhito away while Ayeka and Kiyone continued arguing. When they reached a quiet spot, Tenchi blurted, "What the heck is going on here? Another planet?! Can't you tell those two are obviously nuts?"  
  
Katsuhito looked thoughtful for a moment, then replied, "As I recall, you didn't seem quite so surprised at learning about the origin of our guest."  
  
That stopped Tenchi cold. Grandpa did have a point, but still, this had to be the craziest thing in the world, or out of it for that matter.  
  
"It seems the authorities have arrived to apprehend Miss Washu," Katsuhito went on. "Unfortunately, we can't seem to ascertain who the convening authority is." He looked back over his shoulder at the two shouting women. "I'm afraid there's only one solution to this little quandry."  
  
Oh boy, Tenchi thought. This already sounded bad. Katsuhito walked up to the girls and gave a light cough. He was about to open his mouth when Washu finally spoke up. "Welcome to Earth, ladies. Now, I'm guessing that you two are both here to arrest me. I mean, sure, I committed a crime, I can admit that, and I'm willing to submit to whatever method of justice is decided on. But until you two bozos can decide which one of you is taking me where, it's obvious that none of us are going anywhere." Ayeka and Kiyone glared at Washu. Both were used to being in positions of authority, and neither liked having to take no for an answer.   
  
"Ahem," Katsuhito finally broke in. "I was about to make that very point. Since it seems we are all going to be here a while, I suggest all of you spend the night."  
  
Tenchi's jaw dropped. What the heck was Grandpa doing? Inviting total strangers to share their home and lives for goodness knew how long? Man, this really was nuts. But it was also Grandpa's house, and Tenchi had a feeling he would have little say in the matter, so he kept his mouth shut.  
  
Ayeka appeared crestfallen for a moment. "Oh my, Mister--uh--sir, I wouldn't want to impose on your generosity that way. I really am greatfull, but we have quarters on our respective ships, and--"  
  
"Nonsense," Katsuhito laughed, smiling warmly. "Imagine me allowing you to sleep in such cramped spaces when we have at least ten empty bedrooms with real beds right here at the house!"  
  
Ayeka smiled. "Well then, I thank you for your offer, kind sir. But if I am to accept, you should be aware that I have a passenger back on the ship."  
  
"Me too," Kiyone said, looking a little pained.  
  
"That's quite alright," Katsuhito said, spreading his arms wide. "I'm sure we'll have enough room for all of you."  
  
"Thank you very much then, sir," Ayeka said politely, punctuating the words with a small bow. "I accept your offer. I shall return." She turned gracefully and walked toward the woods.   
  
"Look, Mister..." Kiyone trailed off.  
  
"Masaki," Katsuhito informed her. "Katsuhito Masaki."  
  
"Yeah, thanks alot, Mister Masaki. Not many people would go out of their way like this. I really appreciate it."  
  
"You're quite welcome, Miss Makibi. Now, I suggest you go unpack. Tenchi, let's go get the house ready for our visitors.  
  
Tenchi had no desire to make an ass of himself in front of guests, but as soon as they were gone, he could hold his temper no longer. "Grandpa, are you nuts?!" he shouted. Katsu-san did not flinch. "You've got to realize there's more to taking care of these people than just living space! How are we going to feed them? We can barely afford to feed the both us on your salary!"  
  
"On my salary, Tenchi, that is true," he replied, unperturbed by Tenchi's bluster. "But you've forgotten about the rather large amount of funds I've been storing up over the years for just such an emergency. Many people come here, after all, for many diffent reasons. I had to have some recourse in the event that something happened to one of them."  
  
Yeah, Tenchi thought. Got to keep enough cash on hand in case fugitives from outer space show up, being chased by the Galactic Police, who then start having a shouting contest on your front lawn. Happens all the time, don't you know? Sheesh.  
  
"I'm going to go take a shower," he grumbled, then headed upstairs.  
  
Tenchi had just enetered the kitchen, scrubbing his damp hair with a towel, when the knock sounded at the door. Katsuhito opened it, and Tenchi saw Ayeka and Kiyone standing on the step, along with yet another two girls. One was a little girl, perhaps nine or ten, with long blue--blue!--hair, and she stood next to Ayeka, smiling shyly at them. The other was a gorgeous blonde about Tenchi's age, in a police uniform identical to Kiyone's.  
  
"Good afternoon," Katsuhito greeted. "I take it these two lovely ladies are the others you mentioned?"  
  
"Yes sir," the blonde chirpped excitedly. "Lieutenant Mihoshi Akari, at your service!"  
  
"And my name is Sasami," the blue-haired child said happily. "Pleased to meet you, sir. And thanks for letting us stay!"  
  
"It is my pleasure, your majesty," Katsuhito said. He made a small bow to the little girl, and she blushed a little. "Just call me Sasami," she said meekly, looking down at the steps. Ayeka opened her mouth, apparently about to object, but the old man cut her off: "Do come in. Tenchi, will you show our guests to their rooms, please?"  
  
"Yes sir," Tenchi said, trying to keep the attitude out of his voice as he led the girls into the living room and up the stairs.  
  
"Wow, nice place," Kiyone complemented, looking around at the house's spanking cleanliness and traditional Oriental decore.  
  
"Thanks," Tenchi replied nonchalantly. "I moved out here after my mom died. I hope you girls like your rooms." They had reached the rows of doors upstairs, and he showed them the sparse rooms, each with a twin bed and nightstand, and little else. "Sorry it's so sparse, but we don't use these rooms much, and they'd be awfully expensive to keep up if they were fancy." He stopped talking when he realized how insensitive he sounded. "Any how, good night everyone. I'll be down the hall if you need me." With that, he left as quickly as he could. 


	3. A Budding Romance With a Surprise

Tenchi awoke the next morning feeling somewhat better, considering the hectic day he had yesterday. He had just finished buttoning his pants, and was about to pull his t-shirt on, when Sasami's head poked around the corner of the door. She blushed a little, then said, "Um, breakfast is ready, Tenchi. See you downstairs!" She quickly disappeared.  
  
He was shocked when he arrived in the kitchen to see Sasami placing the food on the table. Mihoshi sat at the table in her pajamas, looking half-asleep, but Princess Ayeka was already looking lively, bustling about as she set the table. "Sasami," Tenchi asked, "did you cook all this? It looks terrific!"  
  
"Yeah," Sasami said with a cheerful grin. "I cook alot back home, but I've never made Earth food before, so I'm still getting used to it."  
  
"And I must say," Katsuhito's voice came from the door as he entered the kitchen, "she's a very good student."  
  
Tenchi shook his head as he sat down at the table. Grandpa sure was an amazing guy, going out of his way to invite total strangers into his home. "You picked up all this skill just last night?" Tenchi asked Sasami. "You're a fast learner," he said, mumbling the complement around a mouthfull of rice. "Wow, this is delicious!"  
  
Kiyone and Washu were the last to appear. The latter strolled in as if she had never been injured at all, though Tenchi could tell by her movements that the binding around her torso was still in place. He thought she looked rather comical, just walking about cheerfully, but with the bandage around her head making her look as if she had been hit by a car.  
  
Washu paused, giving Mihoshi a concerned glance. "Sheesh. Honey, you look wiped," she observed.  
  
"Couldn't sleep," Mihoshi muttered. "My stomach feels awfull, I think I have the flu, bleeeah." She stuck her tongue out, then laid her head on the table.  
  
"It's probably food poisoning," Kiyone commented callously, taking a seat. "I told you that food from the ship was spoiled, but you insisted on eating it. If you had listened, I might have some sympathy."  
  
"Miss Kiyone, how awful of you!" Ayeka interjected sternly. "No one is perfect, and you should have some mercy on people less fortunate than you!"  
  
Kiyone stood and glared at the Princess. "Mind your own business," she snapped.  
  
"How dare you!" Ayeka shot back. "You have no right to speak to the Royal Family that way!!"  
  
"You are a royal pain in the..." Kiyone began, but was cut off by Washu: "I'm still waiting for somebody to arrest me, you know. But in the mean time, give Mihoshi a shot of this." She produced a small silver flask from inside her burgundy vest. _Alcolhol?_, Tenchi wondered as Ayeka passed the container to Mihoshi. Washu winced when Mihoshi turned up the flask and took a huge gulp. The drink promptly reversed course, and Tenchi rolled his eyes as he got up to fetch a paper towel. Mihoshi coughed and spluttered, trying to recover from the shock of the foul-tasting liquid. "What is that stuff?!" she wheezed. "It's horrible!"  
  
"It's a de-tox," Washu stated matter-of-factly. "Made it myself. Safe enough to drink, and kills germs on contact. Unfortunately, taking it is no hayride. That's why you have to sip it gently. Anyway, take a sip and you should feel fine in about ten minutes.  
  
A knock sounded at the door, and Tenchi got up and retrieved his bookbag from the corner, slinging it over his shoulder. "See you later, everyone," he said. "Have a good day, mind Grandpa, and uhh, I'll see you this afternoon." With that, he opened the door and stepped outside, to find Shiro Takagi waiting for him.  
  
"Better get a move-on, man," Shiro warned. "It wouldn't do to have my newest patient show up late for school."  
  
"Patient?" Tenchi asked as they headed down the road, scratching his head. "What do you mean, patient?"  
  
"Yeah, I heard about your date this afternoon. So, how does it feel to be the latest success story of the love doctor?" He put on a smug look, tugging at his shirt collar.  
  
"Gimme a break, will you?" Tenchi sighed. "Masaka and I are just meeting for coffee. That's not a date."  
  
"Theoretically true," Shiro said, holding up an index finger. "Meeting for coffee is not necessarily a date. For example, if you and I met at the coffee shop to discuss, oh say, you getting me the answers to next week's algebra test, I be would be very reluctant to call that a date, especially with you being a guy and all. But in this case, the two parties are of opposite gender, carrying out a previously arranged meeting, presumably with a romantic agenda. In technical terms..."  
  
"It's close enough?"  
  
"Yeah, basically," Shiro replied nonchalantly. "Now, concerning more academic affairs..."  
  
"I'm not going to peek at the test answers for you, Shiro."  
  
"Rats." Shiro snapped his fingers. "I was counting on you, man."  
  
"So, how did you know about me and Masaka, anyway?"  
  
"Tenchi, Tenchi," Shiro laughed, slapping his friend on the shoulder. "You know a magician doesn't reveal his secrets."  
  
"You snuck back into the cafeteria while we were talking?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I figured as much," Tenchi said as they approached the school yard. "See you around."  
  
  
  
Tenchi headed to Starbucks after school to wait for Masaka. Fifteen minutes went by, then twenty. After half an hour, he was certain she had stood him up, and got up to leave. Then he saw a female form with long black hair gently push her way through a crowd of departing people, and he looked closer. Yes, it was her. Finally!  
  
He returned to his seat. "Hi!" she said when she reached him. "Sorry I'm late. I had detention."  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
"Ask him." She pointed to a young man in the corner with spikey blond hair and several earrings. The boy had a black eye.  
  
"Let's just say he evidently let his hormones get away from him," Masaka explained. "Of course, he didn't get in any trouble, except what I could dish out." She sighed. "What kind of coffee do you want?"  
  
"House blend, decaf. Masaka?" he asked.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"How come you don't have a boyfriend? I mean, it's not like you couldn't get one if you wanted to."  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment," she giggled. "I know what Shiro told you. It's partly true; Harume is pretty protective of me, but he wouldn't get in the way if I dated anyone. The truth is," she gave him a slightly pained look, and lowered her voice, "guys tend to shy away from me for some reason. Maybe it's because I'm tall or something."  
  
She was looking at him rather indirectly. If Tenchi didn't know better, he'd have thought she was hiding something.  
  
"Hey," a gruff voice said, and Tenchi looked up. The voice belonged to the punkish blond kid Masaka had evidently assaulted.  
  
"What do you want?" Masaka sighed irritably.  
  
"Well, for starters," the boy shot back, "I want to show you why you can't get a man." He pointed to the shiner on his face as he spoke. "What the hell did you hit me for, anyway? I didn't touch you!"  
  
"Oh, please," she scoffed. "There's such a thing as lust you know, and believe me, I can spot it a mile away."  
  
What in the world? Tenchi wondered. Had she lied to him?  
  
"Stay out of it, Tenchi!" She barked at him. He nearly jumped ten feet. This was getting weirder by the minute.  
  
"But I didn't say anything!" Tenchi protested. "Masaka, what's the matter with you?"  
  
"Nothing is wrong with me!" she shouted. It's just...I...I have to go." She got up and practically ran from the building. "Masaka, wait," Tenchi called, and got up to follow her. But she was already gone.  
  
"I'm telling you, man," the punk said, "she's some kind of psycho."  
  
"Go away," Tenchi growled, "before I punch you myself." With that he left to look for Masaka.  
  
  
  
  
He found her sitting on the edge of the fountain in the town square, chin in her hands. He walked over and gently put his hand on her shoulder. She started, then returned her gaze to the ground. "Not now, Tenchi."  
  
"Masaka, tell me what just happened back there," he asked plaintively. "Please."  
  
"I'm...different, Tenchi," she said, looking him in the eyes. He noticed that she had been crying. "I can't really explain it. Just please go away." Tenchi decided he had little alternative but to listen, and turned for home. 


End file.
